Joseph g



(No Model.)

J. 0. WHITE. Store Service Apparatus.

No. 229,783. Patented July 6, 1880.

"PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMFJ, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH 0. WHITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,783, dated July 6,1880.

Application filed April 26, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J QSEPH O. WHITE, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented an Improvementin Store-Service Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification. My invention relates to thatclass of apparatus whereby articles are carried from the counters of 'astore to a central desk, and each back to the counter from which it wassent; and my invention consists in combining with the carriers certainmeans for driving the same along their opursesby positive movementsderived from suitable motors.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figurelis an elevation of a store-room, showing the counters, desk, andcarrying apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan on the line 1 2, Fig. 1 Fig. 3, adetailed section, showing part of a hanger and carrying appliances,

with a device for automatically detaching the carriers; Figs. 4 and 5,views showing modifications;

In applications for patents heretofore filed by me and in Letters Patentgranted to me on the 11th day of November, 1879, I have shown anddescribed a store-service system in which inclined rails extending overthe counters to and from the main desk constitute the ways on whichcarriers can pass automatically by gravity, conveying money and articlesfrom eachcounter to the central desk and back again to the counter.

This invention therefore does not consist, broadly,-of an automaticcommunication between the counters and the desk of a store, but consistsof different means for carrying out this'central feature, having for itsobject to provide means for positively operating the carriers from somesuitable motor.

Various appliances may be used in effecting this result, one means beingshown in the accompanyingdrawin gs, in which- A represents a line ofcounters, in a store; B, a desk to which the money or goods are to beconveyed; G, hangers for supporting the ways, and D D a pair of saidways, consisting, in this case, of the opposite parallel portions of-ahorizontal continuous band of steel, leather, or other flexible materialpassing around pulleys a on vertical shafts F and rest- (No model.)

ing upon grooved pulleys b, supported at suitable intervals by thehangers O.

A traveling motion is imparted to the band by a belt, G, driving one ofthe shafts F, or by gearing of any suitable character driven from asteam-engine or any available motor.

Each carrier E is constructed in any shape necessary to retain thearticles to be conveyed, and is provided with some means whereby it maybe supported on the ways D D, slots adapted to hooks e, projecting fromthe ways, being shown in Fig. 3, and hooks whereby the carrier may behung directly upon the ways being shown in Fig. 4. In either case anycarrier may be placed upon the way D by the attendant at any counter,and will then be carried, by a positive movement, in a horizontal lineto the desk, andthence back to the counter.

It is most important that means be provided whereby each carrier may beautomatically arrested when it reaches the desk, and also when itreaches the counter from which it was sent.

Certain means are described in my aforesaid patent, and other means willconstitute the subject of separate applications for Letters Patent. Itherefore do not limit myself to any specific devices, but illustrateone onlythat is, a pin, '5, or other projection upon each carrier and aninclined rod or plate, 01, supported by the hanger, or by a bracket nearthe desk, in such position that the pin will ride over the same as thecarrier is propelled in its course, thereby lifting the carrier from theway, so that succeeding carriers may pass.

Thepins and plates of the respective carriers are relatively soproportioned and ar ranged that each carrier, on its return from thedesk, will strike only the plate d at the counter from which it wassent, so as to automatically arrest each carrier at its destination. Allthe carriers, however, are disconnected at the desk.

In the apparatus above described the band D D constitutes both the waysand propelling device. This, however, is not essential, as the ways D Dmay be stationary rods, bars, or plates, as shown in Fig. 5, and thepropelling device may be a flexible cord, belt, or band, as,

the carriers, and thereby propel the latter until they are arrested bysuitable appliances.

Any other available means may be made use of, however, for driving thecarriers. For instance, the carriers may be propelled in tubular ways bycompressed air.

I wish it to be understood that by the terms means for driving thecarriers and operating'appliances I do not include any appliancescombined with and carried by said carriers,but only motors outside andindependent of the carriers.

Although I have shown the ways arranged above the counters, Icontemplate, in some instances, placing them beneath the counters oreven beneath the floor. Without, therefore,

, limiting myself to the precise construction shown,

I claim- 1. The combination, with the counters and desk of a store, of away extending from a position adjacent to each counter to a desk, a

way extending from the desk to or past said counter, and operatingappliances whereby carriers placed upon said ways are propelled to andfrom the desk.

2. The combination of counters, desk, ways, and carriers, and applianceswhereby each carrier is automatically driven along its way from thecounter to the desk, and from the desk back to said counter,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the counters and desk, of a band and appliancesfor operating the same to conduct the carrier to the desk, and from thelatter to the counter from which it 5 was sent, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH 0. WHITE.

Witnesses:

J. W. FRAZER,

H. H. HAYDEN.

